Customs ... Just Downright Stupid

[lazybugger]

here is an example of how stupid customs is , at least in my mind . a friend just got nailed for tax on his baccy he ordered from overseas ... kinda his fault he ordered to close together and the packages arrived at customs at the same time.... now usually under 10oz they letc thro just fine with no tax ... this time tho between the two packages there was 15 oz ... now these two packages including postage and carrier fees was under $100 .... the letter from customs was asking for an additional $400 plus in tax ... now on what planet would someone actually pay the extra $400 plus when they could just reorder and time it better so that it only cost $100..... I know it sucks but really , return to sender give it away or burn it I ain't paying that kinda money when I coukd just reorder ..... and they must know this is seems like common sense , there system is disgusting
Edit: Corrected capitalization in title, L.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

Hey Lazy - customs in what country?

 

[seamusjft]

Tell me about it! I purchased a back pack for my brother for xmas as it was cheper for me to buy and ship the bag from the USA to the UK. Or so I thought!

I was unaware that if I made a purchase outside of the EU (and to adehere to forum rules i wont get into that one :roll: )I had to pay Duty. ON A BACK PACK!

So what was a £39 purchase delivered free cost me £22 in Duty. Wheres the bloody duty in a bag? I understan booze and tobacco. willing or not, tax has to be paid.

lazybugger (love it) you couldnt have picked a better word "disgusting"

 

[lazybugger]

new Zealand

 

[gray4lines]

Wow!
You could (hypothetically) just try up to 4 times to slip it past, and it'd STILL be worth it!
Incentives for tax evasion? Yes.
I doubt the tax will disappear anytime soon, so I predict they will tighten up on customs in the future.

 

[lazybugger]

its not so much a matter of slipping stuff past customs ... they open all my packages and check hem ... every single one ... its the fact that he had 2 at the exact same time so the combined amount of tobacco was over what they let slide ... now sure he shoulda timed that better ... but does it not seem slightly retarded ... its just going to get sent back and reordered ... it will get let thro and they won't have anything to show for it ... only US, the consumer will be paying double btw its still no where near $400 ... it seems like a total waste of time on there side for what is basically 5oz over the limit

 

[hans]

It seems they are tough in your country. I think upon opening the tobacco you sent me, they just decided to keep it for themselves! Haha.
Sorry to hear about the continuing troubles.

 

[lazybugger]

haha I actually have another package sitting at home to send u Hans I will be damned if they are gonna get the better of me .... com hell or high water I will get a package thro lol

 

[hans]

I will feel SOOOOO BAD of they take it again!

Some other guys were suggesting insuring the package. In the states that would only be a dollar or two. Not sure if its possible in NZ.

 

[auspipe]

Lazybugger you need to order from 4noggins. The package should arrive no trouble at all. And if customs does catch it, just return it to sender and re-order. Rich is a top bloke.

 

[lazybugger]

really that sounds bloody good of him ... will have to try 4noggins ... sofar I have only ordered from 3 places ... good service from all of them tbh , sofar all my dealings with overseas companies have been awesome

 

[twistie]

Thought it was bad in Australia, guys in NZ must be paying close to $900/kg in tobacco tax. In Australia 15oz would be around $200 duty.
Edit: Looked it up $698.41 per kilo of tobacco content (KTC). (For 15oz it should be $296 tax but I don't know if GST and other customs charges are placed on top of that in NZ)
I'm sure Aussies will be catching up in the not so distant future. We're currently at roughly $436 per kilo

 

[lazybugger]

ouch ... yeah pretty sure the aussies and kiwis have it the worst and it seems to be just a little overkill ... so I am trying my best to stock up know baccy to ssave problems in the future .... I get my orders in 10oz a time and my baccy cabinet is just starting to look grest .... a real tobacco bar lol ... and any of the blends that don't totally tickle my fancy I am happy to pass round to others to save them hassle and money... even if customs and the goverment makes it hard for us to enjoy the hobby , everyone in it seems decent and I got no problems helping a fellow pipe smoker out ... haha rack up some kharma points

 

[yadan]

When I smoked Habanos (Cuban cigars) for many years, I got nearly all of them from abroad (I live in Israel, where tobacco imports are taxed mercilessly). Whenever I ordered from a dealer in Hong Kong, the shipment was intercepted and heavily taxed. When I ordered from Germany, the packages went through with no problem. For a while, I was ordering from a dealer in England who disguised the parcels as containing religious literature. These also passed through untaxed. go figure it all out... :?:

 

[foggymountain]

I believe that the only legitimate taxes are those that benefit the person taxed, and that excessive taxation is a sure sign of tyranny. Is it time for a smoker's spring?

 

[dervis]

All I hear is I need to do my fair share. I keep calling and asking what that set dollar amount is. Just get told MORE.

 

[oklansas]

Import tariffs are a dinosaur, that hasn't gotten the message that they should be extinct. The ones that exist today are leftover from the pre-income tax days when duties were the main revenue generators for nation governments, or balant protectionism of flagging national industries.
In this case, my guess leftover revenue excise.

 

[cavendish]

I think that's what happened with my two orders. One has been passed through np, but the other one is still being held. Honestly, why can't they just let us live free like we are supposed to FFS!

 

[hfearly]

Well, you want roads, and schools, and health care? Someone gotta pay for it. Since you smoke, YOU are the one to pay ;-) The antis decided so (just because is ethically no longer acceptable to have other minorities be discriminated ...)

 

[kid420]

screw customs i went to buy from bongs australia and the bastards didn't let my pipe through for no reason. I'm pretty upset atm when in the mail it said consfiscated the item but there was no note of reason for it? what the heck I thought tobacco pipes were legal in Aus?